If it is so called "punishment" what do you learn from being tormented for eternity? It's like an inhumane prison. Why would the christian god send people to torment, he is all powerful. why did he not make hell like a prison; humane but a duration of time where you could go to reconcile for what you've done?
2007-05-01 12:57:38 · 36 answers · asked by Banana tree 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's for those who want exquisite pain for eternity.
2007-05-01 12:59:59 · answer #1 · answered by JADE 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The time to reconcile is now. You have all the information and you make a choice. Once you die the choice is permanant, there are no "do overs". The Bible is clear on this point. He is all powerful but He does not force anyone, the choice is always yours. Forced love is not love and as a mtter of fact those who try it are called stalkers. Why should God be a stalker? He stands waiting with open arms. In the end there are only 2 places left because earth will be no more. There will be heaven (where those who love and follow God go) and hell (where everyone else goes). Why should He make Hell like a prison? It is a prison as a matter of fact but there is no parole. You already know this so why would you ask the question?
2007-05-01 13:05:55 · answer #2 · answered by Sylvia G 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sable, I see some comments above, so I'll summarize & present my own point:
1) That's the way God works. Either do as he says, or burn forever. No middle ground.
2) There are multiple layers of hell, which is not so much fire and brimstone, but the absence of God. In the absence of God, there is evil, thus while God doesn't go punish you, he is not there, so evil punishes you. Why isn't God there? You misbehaved, and now he wants nothing more to do with you.
3) There is no hell. Typo (whoops!)
Personally, if there is a hell (agnostic here), I believe that it is more of a #2 than a #1 (#3 excluded for sake of argument). God's "chosen" ones, or the ones who have walked the straight and narrow in this life, are being "groomed" for something more in the next. As such, you take the best (or the "chosen"), and discard everyone else.
2007-05-01 13:15:04 · answer #3 · answered by Big Super 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible doesn't support the belief of everlasting torment. The effects of hell are everlasting but not the burning up of people forever and ever. It will serve as a reminder of the consequences of sin, afterwards sin will never come back.
Understanding God's character is key to understanding hell. God is merciful and loving yet is also a jealous god and does judge us. If we have rejected God all our lives and when He comes back living in heaven would be worse torture then being destroyed. It is merciful for God to destroy the wicked because, imagine if you weren't a believer and suddenly God whom you have rejected comes and takes everybody to heaven. Would you want to spend eternity with the very God that you had rejected? Wouldn't it be worse to be constantly around Him when everyone else is praising and worshiping Him?
The idea of hell as an everlasting torture was used as a device to scare people into believing in God.
2007-05-01 14:36:28 · answer #4 · answered by trilliums 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know what? You are right! The Christian God does NOT send people to hell for all eternity. You are right that hell is a place of correction for people...but it DOES NOT LAST FOREVER! The problem is with a misinterpretation of the word translated 'forever' in the bible. In the Greek, it is the word "aionios" - which is plural for "ages or eras". So it means a period of time. Periods of time have beginnings and endings! So hell is not FOREVER! Why hell at all then? What if you die having totally been unrepentant for being EVIL in some way in your life. But God says, I am NOT WILLING that ANY should perish! But that ALL should come to repentace. He really means ALL! So what about eternal burning?!? That's a misunderstood concept, too. You've heard hell described as a place of fire. But it's also described as a place of outer darkness. How can you have fire and no light? It's impossible! And that's not what it means. So what would the fire be? Wouldn't be a revelation of the things you've done wrong and how they've impacted someone else. How it LITERALLY felt to be on the receiving end of that injustice that you may have done. Wouldn't that be the most effective form of punishment? Why, because it's FAIR! And it shows you SPECIFICALLY why you should've never behaved a certain way in your life. This makes sense then, when it says "The weights and balances of God are JUST!" Your own heart is telling you the CORRECT TRUTH HERE: When would it EVER be fair for a person to live, let's say even 100 years being wicked, then die and go to hell to be tormented for a billion times a billion times a billion years, etc, and never have the torture stop?!!!? Surely, this would make God a bigger monster than Satan. Unfortunately, most of us struggle with this thought already! But if God is GOOD, He is ALWAYS GOOD! So what's the purpose of hell? It's a place in eternity of correction. It's where you get a chance to be redeemed if you were so head strong that you wouldn't accept a life lived in grace and love on earth. But you are God's DAUGHTER and SO BELOVED! How can any Father cast you away for ALL TIME?!!? If you don't know of one single mother or father on earth who couldn't bear to cast away their own child for all eternity, not just this lifetime, why believe that God would! When He alone is HOLY, and is the PERFECTION OF LOVE expressed! The creator and Giver of Life never destroys Life!
When talking about hell in Matthew 5:26, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, you shall not in any way come out from there until you have paid the uttermost farthing." That means there is a way to pay the uttermost farthing. How? You repent of what you had done on the earth, you ask God's forgiveness. And then Jesus, who has the keys to hell and death lets you out. You are washed at that moment finally in the Blood of the Lamb, whose innocent sacrifice still pays for your life even in eternity. See - he has the keys to let people out, not just put them in!! And at the moment that you take his sacrifice, you are released, you are signed with your Father's signet ring, and led by your Elder Brother, Jesus Christ into heaven!
I would be happy to tell you more about this! If you want my email information, please respond and let me know. I could send you a book called "Jesus: Savior of ALL." As I said, before, your heart within you has already told you the truth. God is the creator, Father, and Saver of ALL souls He ever made. God bless you on your search, sister. I will ask my church to pray for you!
2007-05-01 13:28:15 · answer #5 · answered by Teresa L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sable, that torment was created for the Devil and his fallen angels. Since God created them as eternal beings, there is no other option than an eternal punishment. Humans may inherit that by choosing to reject God and his Christ as our King.
God is not willing that any humans should go to eternal torment. He came and paid the penalty of our rebellion so that we would not go there. (We have both an inherited and willfully rebellious nature).
The problem is that you cannot judge eternal things by temporal means. We finite creatures are not capable of knowing all things.
However, you are offered the choice. Accept Christ, learn of him, seek the way of salvation. Or, if not, you are accepting that the "god of this world", Satan, is your king. You will go to his place of judgement, with him because you have rejected the Savior.
The Bible says you will be judged. If you trust that you can pass the judgement of a perfect holy and righteous God, then you have nothing to fear.
If, however, you find yourself as an imperfect creature who may have a rebellious heart, why not accept the gift of Christ? He could not have made it easier. Turn to him, learn of him, and you will find it is possible to trust him.
2007-05-01 13:11:45 · answer #6 · answered by TEK 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a very Roman-Catholic concept. You see when an Italian mom constantly nags and torments her children she is merely preparing her child for an eternity of suffering.
Non-Christians (especially non Catholics) will have not had this preparation and find everlasting torment quite unbearable. Us Catholics on the other hand, will have all the many Sunday dinners at mom's house to look back on...and find hell not so bad. Thanks Mom
2007-05-01 13:11:02 · answer #7 · answered by Gaga Warlock 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What seems to be questioned is the understood authority of the Bible-- sort of like the serpent's question, "Did God really say that...?" Personally, I don't see how anyone can understand the point this side of eternity, but if it is God's Word then perhaps it is at least an added motive for repentance and faith in the One who offers everlasting life.
2007-05-01 13:06:59 · answer #8 · answered by John 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's the point, "inhumane" God is not created in our immage. We are created in His.
For as the heavens are above the earth so are my ways above you ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. Last time I checked the "heavens" extend beyond our ability to calculate, infinately.
God is God, and He says that the wicked are appointed for His wrath. I have a suggestion, get saved, come to salvation in Jesus, and forget about the evil of this place. I for one look forward to a place where My God will wipe my tears away, no more pain and no more dying, and worship and worship and worship to God for all eternity.
"When we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun. We've no less grace to sing His praise than when we first begun."
Glory Glory to His name.
al 4 now B
2007-05-01 13:12:59 · answer #9 · answered by ImJstBob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadly for some, God did not intend for man to be cast into "everlasting torment". That spot was designed for Lucifer and his angels that fell from Heaven. But man chose not to obey God, and freely chose the punishment that goes with rebellion. Through Christ, God offers a chance for all of mankind to escape the horrors of hell by just accepting by faith. God did not decide, mankind chose.
2007-05-01 13:02:57 · answer #10 · answered by Richard W 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Control system. When you give someone an image of total anguish, they would be to afraid to act in any other way that the way required to avoid it. The christian god system is all about absolutes. We as people would never allow a fellow man to act in such a matter.
2007-05-01 13:22:20 · answer #11 · answered by bluesagedragon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋